What does a Sports Administrator do?

Several job opportunities are available within the broad category of sports administrator. A sports administrator may be responsible for managing an athletic program at a high school, college, or university, or he or she may be responsible for running programs at a gym or fitness center. Other sports administrator positions may deal directly with professional sports teams; job responsibilities may include clubhouse management, player representation as an agent, contract negotiation and administration, equipment and facilities management, events coordination, and various other responsibilities that relate to sports and athletic operations. A candidate for such positions may or may not need a higher education degree, but a knowledge of and passion for athletics is a must.

A sports administrator may be responsible for the marketing aspects of a professional team. This may include developing promotions, press releases, websites, and advertising campaigns aimed at attracting fans to the team's games. A marketing sports administrator will more than likely conduct market research for a specific area and develop marketing strategies specific to that audience. He or she may have a hand in logo designs and placement, promotions within the community or on the national or international level, television commercials, radio spots, internet advertising, and so on.

Other types of sports administrator jobs will have more to do with the day-to-day operations of the team, organization, or company. The administrator may be responsible for day to day operations and management of other employees. He or she may also be responsible for maintenance of the athletic fields, courts, equipment, and so on. Professional sports teams will need administrators who will be responsible for vendors such as food and memorabilia as well; some administrators will be responsible for ticket sales, and management of fans while they are in the park, including security, ushers, and other staff that will interact directly with fans.

Administrators who work for colleges and universities may be responsible for recruitment of potential players and coaches. They may also have a hand in scholarship administration, salary negotiations for coaches and other professional staff, and development and enforcement of a code of conduct for both players and coaches. College and university administrators may also have to interact with other college administrators to deal with budget issues, staffing, revenue, and so on. At the high school level, a sports administrator may be responsible for drawing college recruiters to games, enforcing codes of conduct, and even coaching duties, when appropriate.